STORE-LIGHT

The European Green Deal requires novel solutions for renewable energy. Solar energy is not constant and hence an unstable power source owing to its intermittent nature. Therefore, storage of solar energy is an important issue. Our new technology combines solar energy conversion and storage into one, thus delivering the opportunity to exploit the benefits of solar energy conversion also beyond the availability of sunlight. Our compact two-in-one technology avoids the need to connect two separate devices, thus lowering maintenance cost and technological support, connection losses and device bulkiness, together providing a more efficient and easy solution towards the integration in the daily life or to other functional systems.

The proposed technology develops a stand-alone photo-storage system that functions as a photon energy harvester and converter and in the same time as an energy storage compartment. The development of integrated solar-to-charge storage systems are of major importance to exploit the full potential of solar energy, and in the same time extending the limits of conventional energy storage systems. A photo-responsive storage system as planned in STORE-LIGHT, achieving direct and seamless solar energy conversion and storage in one single compact architecture, would be a transformative approach to power off-grid devices. Such unique photo-to-charge storage technology will ultimately affect extended application areas such as self-powered sensors or the next-generation in micro-electronics and IoT.

Duration: 1 March 2024 - 31 August 2025